Native cultures knew the practical
value of many common foods in treating common ailments--that is, before the advent of the industrial revolution and
the subsequent suppression of traditional medicine by the pharmaceutical
juggernauts. Pomegranates, which are not native to the Americas, have been
revered in Asia and the Middle East for millennia for spiritual as well as
health reasons. "Modern science" has only recently realized the importance
of this super anti-oxidant, which is gaining popularity in the prevention and
treatment of cancer and heart disease.

Antioxidants are the naturally occurring substances
in plants that protect the body from free radicals, which are highly reactive
atoms or molecules that interfere with normal cellular functions. Free
radicals abound in our modern society in the form of pollutants, food additives,
pesticides, herbicides, cigarette smoke, etc, ad nauseum. For example, free radicals can cause cellular damage
to cellular components including RNA/DNA, which can potentially lead to
cancer. Free radicals
can alter cholesterol in an oxidation process in the arteries. This
process appears to speed up the onset of atherosclerosis, a type of
arteriosclerosis (often referred to as "hardening of the arteries" or "plaque
build-up" on arterial walls). Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of
"heart disease", the number one killer in North America and other countries that
have adopted the modern Standard American Diet (SAD). Nobel laureate
chemist Linus Pauling isolated the initial cause of hardening of the arteries to
lack of a well-known antioxidant--vitamin C.

The recent interest in the antioxidant power of
pomegranates began primarily in 2000 when a group of scientists in Israel
demonstrated the effectiveness of pomegranates in treating atherosclerosis. The research was headed by Professor
Michael Aviram, an internationally recognized authority on the effect of food on
heart disease. Professor Aviram was the first to prove the
beneficial effects of red wine on cholesterol oxidation in humans.

"Antioxidants can protect us against the oxidative
stress in our industrialized world, such as pollution, chemicals, viruses and
bacteria, and consequently cardiovascular diseases and cancer," said Professor Aviram. His
research shows that pomegranate juice contains the
highest antioxidant capacity compared to other juices, red wine, green tea,
tomatoes, vitamin E and other headline makers. Scientists
at the University of California, Berkeley, have independently confirmed that
pomegranate juice contains at least three major antioxidants. Pomegranate
juice has three times the antioxidant power of red wine or green tea (using the
Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity test).

POMEGRANATES FOR HEART DISEASE

Dr. Aviram and his scientific research
group tested pomegranate juice on both humans and laboratory mice which were
genetically predisposed to develop heart disease. They found that
pomegranate juice decreased LDL ("bad cholesterol") and increased HDL ("good
cholesterol") by 20% in humans. The oxidation of LDL, which is
believed by many researchers to be a major cause of heart disease, was reduced by up to 90%.

This sounds very promising for those
wishing to prevent atherosclerosis--But what about getting rid of the plaque
build-up that already exists in the arteries which can cause a heart attack or
stroke? Fortunately, pomegranate juice consumption significantly reduced
the size of arterial plaque both in human subjects and mice. Nineteen
patients from 65 to 75 years of age with severe carotid artery stenosis (70 to
90 percent occlusion) were given 50 ml of concentrated, pasteurized pomegranate
juice daily. This concentrate was equivalent to 8.3 ounces of 100%
pomegranate juice. After one year the mean carotid artery thickness was
reduced 35%. During the same time period the mean artery thickness
significantly increased in the placebo group. The arterial plaque in
laboratory mice was reduced by as much as 44%.

In this research conducted over a three year period, Professor Aviram and his research group further showed that
pomegranate juice could significantly lower the systolic blood pressure of hypertensive
patients in just two weeks. Patients with preexisting cardiovascular
disease showed great improvement in many important physiological measurements
and pathological signs compared to the control group. The Aviram research group concluded that
pomegranate juice can offer a wide protection against cardiovascular diseases
which may be attributable to its antioxidative properties.

POMEGRANATE FOR CANCER

Recent scientific research is
demonstrating that pomegranate may be helpful in the prevention and treatment of
various types of cancer such as breast cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer and
lung cancer. Research using both mouse mammary organ culture and human
breast cancer cells in vitro has demonstrated anticancer effects of pomegranate
extracts. Dr. Hasan Mukhtar and colleagues from the University
of Wisconsin have shown that a topically-applied pomegranate fruit extract can block skin tumor
formation in mice. Another study demonstrated significant antitumor
activity of pomegranate-derived materials against human prostate cancer.
Yet another study shows the extracts of pomegranate can promote
differentiation--the ability of cancer cells to revert to their normal
counterparts.

Pomegranates are the richest source of
a natural substance called ellagic acid. According to master herbalist
and certified nutritionist Donald Yance in his book HERBAL MEDICINE, HEALING &
CANCER, ellagic acid "inhibits cancer formation and is believed to inhibit
cancer mutation by latching onto DNA-masking sensitive sites on the genetic
material that might otherwise be occupied by harmful chemicals. Ellagic
acid is particularly effective in the inhibition of lung cancer caused by
tobacco."

Pomegranate also contains
the anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins (flavonoids), which are substances that
have been shown in animal and test tube experiments to reduce tumor
angiogenesis.

More Pomegranate
Benefits

Pomegranate has been gaining popularity
for menopausal symptoms due to the increased risk of breast cancer, heart
disease and strokes from artificial hormone replacement therapy. Certain
herbs contain estrogen-like substances that do not have the serious side effects
of prescription medications. Pomegranate contains estrone, a natural
estrogen which is also produced by the human body. According to one study
using mice, pomegranate extract improved the menopausal symptoms of depression
and bone loss.

Pomegranate has also shown to possess
anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. The bark of the tree and root
have been used in traditional medicine to eliminate tapeworms.

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